Apparatus for remotely rotating a marking wheel on a marking devic

ABSTRACT

The characters on the periphery of a rotatable marking wheel are selectively rotated into marking position by a remotely controlled actuating mechanism. The marking wheel has a ratchet portion with a ratchet tooth for each character. The actuating mechanism includes a reciprocating slide with an actuating pawl pivotally connected thereto. For each forward stroke of the slide the actuating pawl engages a tooth and rotates the marking wheel and moves the adjacent character into marking position. A depending finger on the slide also moves into overlying relation with the adjacent tooth to prevent the wheel from rotating through too large an angle to move the adjacent character beyond the marking position. A centering and locking pawl is engaged by the slide on the reverse stroke and moved into engagement with another tooth on the ratchet to center the character in the marking position and maintain the wheel in that position.

United States Patent 1 3,636,87 1 Speicher [451 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY 2,922,361 l/l960 Adler et al. ..l0l/95 ROTATING A MARKING WHEEL ON A 3,482,512 12/1969 .lung .lOl/l 10 MARKING DEVICE 3,521,556 7/1970 Barbour 101/1 10 [72] Inventor: Edwin W. Speicher, Pittsburgh, Pa. [73] Assignee: M. E. Cunningham Company, lngomar,

[22] Filed: Dec.24, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 887,809

[52] U.S. CL... ..101/95, 101/4, 101/110 [51] Int. Cl. ..B41j 5/04, B41j 7/34 [58] FieldofSearch ..101/4,29,95,1l0

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,994,264 8/1961 Haver ..101/95 2,818,014 12/1957 Jacquart ..101/4 3,068,718 12/1962 Adler 101/95X 461,186 10/1891 Reinhardt.. ..101/72 1,218,590 3/1917 Buehrer ..10l/29X 2,232,528 2/1941 Hoffman ..101/29 2,766,687 10/1956 Williams ..l01/llOX Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Assistant ExaminerE. M. Coven Attorney-Stanley J. Price, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT The characters on the periphery of a rotatable marking wheel are selectively rotated into marking position by a remotely controlled actuating mechanism. The marking wheel has a ratchet portion with a ratchet tooth for each character. The actuating mechanism includes a reciprocating slide with an actuating pawl pivotally connected thereto. For each forward stroke of the slide the actuating pawl engages a tooth and rotates the marking wheel and moves the adjacent character into marking position. A depending finger on the slide also moves into overlying relation with the adjacent tooth to prevent the wheel from rotating through too large an angle to move the adjacent character beyond the marking position. A centering and locking pawl is engaged by the slide on the reverse stroke and moved into engagement with another tooth on the ratchet to center the character in the marking position and maintain the wheel in that position.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJANZSISYZ 3,6361371 SHEET 1 0f 2 INVENTOR EDWIN W SPE/CHE'R 66 44 66 44 Ir is Attorney APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY ROTATING A MARKING WHEEL ON A MARKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention This invention relates to a method and apparatus for rotating a wheel through a preselected angle and more particularly to a method and apparatus for rotating a marking wheel to position an adjacent peripheral character in marking position.

2. Description of the Prior Art Remotely operated marking devices reduce both the cost and time required for the marking function. To identify the heat number, ingot number, and other identifying information by impressing on the slab, billet, or bloom various characters by a remotely located marking device has reduced the cost per ton for the marking function and eliminates the need to slow down the other operations in the steel mill to keep pace with the marking functions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,264 discloses marking apparatus that performs the above-discussed marking functions. With the apparatus disclosed in the above patent, a marking head is pivotally supported from an overhead support and is swung downwardly in an arcuate path and the marking head strikes a portion of the slab, preferably a vertical edge portion, and impresses thereon the characters on the marking heads in marking position. The marking wheels are rotatably supported within the marking head and have a plurality of characters on the outer periphery. Character selection is made from an operating console positioned remotely from the marking machine. An actuator device rotates the wheel with each stroke and moves the adjacent character into marking position. The marking wheels are rotatable on a supporting shaft and movement of the actuator has, in the past, rotated the marking wheel a greater distance than a single character so that character selection by the operator was not the same as the character in marking position. There is a need, therefore, for a fail-safe actuating device for positively rotating the marking wheel to move only the next adjacent character into marking position for each stroke of the actuator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The hereinafter described invention is directed to an actuating mechanism for positioning preselected characters in the marking position and includes an actuating slide mechanism that has an actuating pawl depending therefrom. As the actuating slide advances, the actuating pawl engages a tooth of the ratchet forming a part of the marking wheel and the rotates the marking wheel to move the next adjacent character toward the marking position. Means associated with the actuating slide extends into the recess of the ratchet tooth adjacent the ratchet tooth engaged by the actuating pawl and prevents the ratchet and marking wheel from rotating so that the adjacent character cannot move beyond the marking position. A locking pawl is urged against another tooth of the ratchet to further turn the ratchet wheel and center the adjacent character in the marking position. The actuating slide engages the locking pawl in this latter position to maintain the adjacent character in a center marking position. With this arrangement the actuator cannot inadvertently move the marking wheel to an extent that the adjacent character moves beyond the marking position.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide an actuating device for a marking wheel that includes means to prevent the marking wheel from rotating beyond the adjacent character.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a remotely operated marking device with the marking head illustrated in full lines in a retracted position and in phantom lines in a marking posi- FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of a marking head illustrating a plurality of marking wheels with peripheral raised surfaces with raised characters thereon.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view partially in section with a portion of the marking wheel removed to illustrate the relative position of the actuating pawl and the locking pawl relative to the ratchet portion of the marking wheel.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with portions of the marking wheel removed to again illustrate the manner in which the actuating pawl engages the ratchet tooth and the locking pawl is moved rearwardly by the ratchet tooth as the slide portion of the actuating mechanism moves forwardly.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrating the slide portion of the actuating mechanism at the forward end of the stroke with the depending finger on the slide member positioned in a recessed portion of the ratchet wheel between adjacent teeth to prevent further rotation of the ratchet wheel while the locking pawl engages and moves the ratchet wheel to center the adjacent character in marking position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the marking apparatus generally designated by the numeral 10 includes an upper support frame 12 suitably positioned adjacent a location where slabs or billets are to be marked. Pairs of arms 14 and 16 are pivotally secured to the frame 12 by pins 18 and 20. A marking head generally designated by the numeral 22 is pivotally secured to the opposite ends of the arms 14 and 16 by pins 24 and 26. A piston cylinder assembly 28 has a piston rod 30 pivotally secured to the pair of arms 14 by pins 32 and a cylinder 34 pivotally secured to the frame 12 by pin 36. The piston cylinder assembly 28 extends the piston rod 30 to swing the marking head 22 through an arcuate path to the position illus' trated in phantom lines where the characters in marking position are impressed on the vertical side 38 of billet 40.

The marking head generally designated by the numeral 22 has a housing member 42 that rotatably supports a plurality of marking wheels 44 and a plurality of actuating mechanisms generally designated by the numeral 46. There is an actuating mechanism 46 for each character marking wheel 44 and each actuating mechanism has a cable 48 secured to a slide of the actuating mechanism and at the other end to a remotely controlled servomechanism (not shown). The servomechanism within the frame 12 is arranged to reciprocate the cable 48 and advance the adjacent character into marking position. The servomechanism advances and retracts the cable 48 to advance the marking wheels in the marking head 22 in the following manner.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, one of the marking wheels generally designated by the numeral 44 is associated with an actuator mechanism generally designated by the numeral 46. The actuator mechanism 46 and marking wheels 44 are suitably supported within the housing 42 of the marking head 22. The marking wheel 44 is rotatably supported on a shaft 50 and has a plurality of spaced raised portions along the periphery, for example in FIG. 3, the raised portion 60 is in the marking position. In FIG. 5, however, the raised portion 62 is in the marking position after the marking wheel 44 has been rotated by the actuator mechanism 46. Each marking wheel has 12 raised portions with different raised characters thereon. Each marking wheel has a ratchet portion 66 associated therewith that is coaxial with the wheel 44. The marking wheel 44 is rotated by means of the ratchet portion 66. The ratchet wheel 66 has radially extending teeth, as for example 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, and 84. Each raised portion ofthe marking wheel has a ratchet tooth associated therewith. For example, raised portion 52 has ratchet tooth 72 and raised portion 54 has ratchet tooth 74. All of the ratchet teeth have a vertical portion 86 and an inclined portion 88.

The housing 42 has a slide support 90 with an upwardly extending stop member 92 secured thereto arranged to limit the forward movement of the slide member generally designated by the numeral 94. The housing 42 has a depending rear stop member 96 that limits the rearward movement of the slide member 94 so that the slide member 94 is free to reciprocate between the stop members 92 and 96 by means of longitudinal reciprocatory movement of the cable 48. The slide member 94 is slidably positioned on the slide support 90 and guided thereon by an upper member 98. The slide member has a body portion 100 with an upstanding front end portion 102 with a front edge 104. The upstanding portion 102 has a longitudinal aperture 106 and an upstanding stop member 108 on the opposite side of the upstanding member 102. The upper support member 98 has a longitudinal bore 110 therethrough and the cable 48 has a cylindrical jacket 112 therearound with a threaded end portion 114. The cylindrical jacket 112 is slidably positioned in the longitudinal bore 110 in support member 98 and the threaded end portion 114 extends through the longitudinal bore 106 in upstanding portion 102. A first bolt 116 is threadedly secured on the cable threaded end portion 114 and has a sidewall that abuts the upstanding stop member 108 on slide member 94. A second bolt 118 is threadedly secured to the cable end portion 1 14 and abuts the front surface 104 of the slide member 94. With this arrangement the bolt 116nonrotatably abuts the stop portion 108 so that bolt 116 is prevented from rotating on the threaded cable 114 by the stop member 108 and thus prevents the slide mechanism 94 from disengaging from the cable 48 after repeated actuation of the slide member and after repeated marking operations.

The slide body portion 100 has an actuating pawl 120 pivotally secured thereto adjacent the slide mechanism rear edge portion 122 by means of a pin member 124. The pawl 120 has a finger portion 126 with a vertical front edge portion 128. The slide mechanism body portion has a shoulder portion 130 against which the pawl finger portion abuts so that the shoulder portion 130 on the slide body portion 100 provides a stop means to limit clockwise pivotal movement of the pawl member 120 so that in the position illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 the awl mechanism 120 functions as a lever extension of the slide mechanism 94. However, on the return stroke of the slide mechanism 94 the pawl member 120 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as the finger portion 126 slides up the inclined portion 88 of the ratchet tooth. The slide body portion 100 has a bore 132 therein in which a rod member 134 is slidably positioned with a spring 136 in the bore 132. The spring 136 urges rod member 134 outwardly so that the positioning pawl 120 compresses spring 136 as it pivots in a counterclockwise direction and is urged against the stop member 130 by the rod 134 and spring 136 to thus assure the downward clockwise engagement of the pawl 120 against the shoulder 130 so that the pawl finger 126 will be positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 and engage the ratchet tooth upon forward movement of the slide mechanism 94.

To rotate the ratchet wheel 44 and advance the character raised portion 62 into marking position where character raised portion 60 is presently positioned in FIG. 3, the servomechanism in the frame member is actuated to move the cable 48 forward and advance the slide mechanism 94. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, the slide mechanism in its rearward position with the rear edge 122 abutting the rear stop 96 has the actuating pawl finger 126 disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet 44. As the cable 48 advances the slide mechanism 94, the ratchet finger front surface 128 engages the vertical surface 86 of a ratchet tooth and rotates the ratchet 44 by advancing the slide mechanism 94. Continued advance of the slide mechanism 94 into abutting relation with the front stop '92 as illustrated in FIG. simply retains the actuating pawl finger 126 against the vertical wall 86 of the ratchet tooth.

The slide body portion 94 has a depending finger 138 adjacent the slide rear edge portion 122. The depending finger 138 has a lower edge portion 140 that is so shaped that when positioned in overlying relation with a ratchet tooth inclined portion 88 the finger 138 prevents the marking wheel 44 from rotating beyond the next raised portion. For example, in FIG. 3 the depending finger 138 is clear of the ratchet teeth. As the slide 94 advances toward the stop 92 the pawl 120 engages the vertical portion 86 of the ratchet tooth and rotates the ratchet wheel to move the next raised portion into marking position. The finger 138 follows the pawl 120 and moves into overlying relation with the inclined portion 88 of the tooth behind the ratchet tooth engaged by the pawl 120. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the pawl 120 engages the vertical portion 86 of tooth 74 to rotate the ratchet wheel 44 as the slide mechanism 94 advances toward the front stop 92. The finger 138 following the pawl 120 moves into overlying rela tion with the inclined portion 88 between the teeth 76 and 78 as is illustrated in FIG. 5. Continued rotation of the marking wheel 44 while the finger 138 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 5 would move the inclined portion 88 of the ratchet tooth into abutting relation with the lower edge 140 of finger 138 to thus prevent further rotation of marking wheel 44 beyond the desired single raised portion.

A locking pawl 142 is pivotally secured to the frame 42 by pin 144 and has an upper edge portion 146 and a forwardly extending engaging portion 148. The locking pawl in the locked position illustrated in FIG. 3 has the engaging portion 148 in abutting relation with an inclined portion 88 of the ratchet wheel. The upper edge portion 146 is in abutting relation with a depending intermediate surface 150 on slide 94. In the position illustrated in FIG. 3 the engaging portion 148 of locking pawl 142 is maintained in abutting relation with the inclined portion 88 of ratchet tooth 70 by the depending 150 of slide preventing the pawl 142 from pivoting in a clockwise direction to thus prevent the ratchet wheel 66 and marking wheel 44 from rotating and moving the preselected character out from its marking position.

The slide support has a longitudinal passageway 152 with a rod 154 and a coil spring 156. The coil spring 156 urges rod 154 against the rear edge of the pawl 142 to urge the pawl in a counterclockwise direction. As the slide member 94 is advanced as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking pawl engaging portion 148 rides over a ratchet tooth as illustrated in FIG. 4 to permit the next raised portion on the marking wheel 44 to move into marking position. The rod 154 maintains engaging portion 148 in abutting relation with the surface of the ratchet wheel 66 so that the engaging portion 148 moves into abutting relation with the inclined portion 88 of the adjacent ratchet tooth. As the slide 94 returns to the position illustrated in F IG. 3, the locking pawl centers the raised portion on the marking wheel 44 in marking position and maintains that raised portion in centered marking position until subsequently moved therefrom by the previously discussed reciprocal movement of the slide 94.

OPERATION The marking wheel 44 illustrated in FIG. 3 has the peripheral raised portion 60 in marking position and the centering and locking pawl 142 maintains the raised portion 60 in operative marking position. Movement of the slide mechanism 94 forwardly toward the stop 92 by the cable 48 first moves the finger portion 126 of actuating pawl into abutting relation with the vertical portion 86 of tooth 84. Further advance of the slide 94 into abutting relation with the front stop 92 as illustrated in FIG. 5, moves the lower edge portion of finger 138 into overlying relation with the inclined portion 88 between ratchet teeth 76 and 78 to thus prevent further rotation of the ratchet wheel 66 and marking wheel 44 beyond the position where the raised portion 62 is in marking position. After the ratchet wheel has rotated the marking wheel to move raised portion 62 into marking position, the slide 94 is moved rearwardly toward the rear stop 96. Locking pawl engaging portion 148 prevents rotation of the ratchet wheel 66 and marking wheel 44 in either direction by the rod 154 urging the engaging portion 148 of locking pawl 142 into abutting relation with the ratchet wheel. During the rearward movement of slide 94 the actuating pawl 120 slides up the inclined portion 88 of the adjacent ratchet tooth to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 3 and is operatively positioned to engage the adjacent ratchet tooth upon subsequent forward movement of the slide 94.

With the above-discussed arrangement the ratchet pawl and marking wheel are mechanically controlled by means of actuating pawl 120, finger 138, and lock pawl 142 to prevent the ratchet wheel 44 from moving more than one raised portion on the marking wheel and further, the marking wheel is maintained in fixed position with the preselected raised portion in marking position by the locking pawl 142 until the actuating slide 94 is again moved forwardly toward the stop member 92.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now considered to represent its best embodiment. However, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device comprising,

a marking head housing,

a wheel rotatably mounted on said housing and having a plurality of raised portions with marking characters on the periphery thereof,

said wheel having a ratchet portion with a plurality of teeth extending radially therefrom, said ratchet portion having the same number of teeth as said wheel peripheral raised portions,

an actuating slide mounted in said housing for reciprocal movement therein, said actuating slide positioned in overlying relation with said wheel ratchet portion,

said housing having a front stop portion and a rear stop portion for said actuating slide,

an actuating pawl connected to said slide and operable upon movement of said slide in one direction to engage a tooth of said ratchet portion and rotate said wheel to advance the next adjacent character into marking position,

a locking pawl pivotally connected to said housing and having pawl portion operable to engage a tooth of said ratchet portion and limit the rotation of said ratchet and said wheel,

said slide having a shoulder portion movable into abutting relation with a portion of said locking pawl to maintain said locking pawl in engagement with a tooth of said ratchet portion,

said slide having a depending finger portion adjacent said actuating pawl, and

said depending finger portion operable upon movement of said slide to move into overlying relation with a ratchet tooth to prevent rotation of said ratchet and said wheel beyond said next adjacent character.

2. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

cable means to reciprocate said slide in said housing.

3. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device as set forth in claim 2 in which,

said slide includes an upstanding front end portion with a longitudinal passageway therethrough,

said cable having a cylindrical jacket positioned thereon adjacent a threaded end portion,

a first bolt member threadedly positioned on said cable threaded end portion with said cable end portion extending through said longitudinal passageway in said slide member,

a second bolt member securing said cable to said slide upstanding end portion,

a stop member abutting said first bolt member and limiting rotation of said first bolt member to thereby maintain said cable secured to said actuating slide. 

1. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device comprising, a marking head housing, a wheel rotatably mounted on said housing and having a plurality of raised portions with marking characters on the periphery thereof, said wheel having a ratchet portion with a plurality of teeth extending radially therefrom, said ratchet portion having the same number of teeth as said wheel peripheral raised portions, an actuating slide mounted in said housing for reciprocal movement therein, said actuating slide positioned in overlying relation with said wheel ratchet portion, sAid housing having a front stop portion and a rear stop portion for said actuating slide, an actuating pawl connected to said slide and operable upon movement of said slide in one direction to engage a tooth of said ratchet portion and rotate said wheel to advance the next adjacent character into marking position, a locking pawl pivotally connected to said housing and having pawl portion operable to engage a tooth of said ratchet portion and limit the rotation of said ratchet and said wheel, said slide having a shoulder portion movable into abutting relation with a portion of said locking pawl to maintain said locking pawl in engagement with a tooth of said ratchet portion, said slide having a depending finger portion adjacent said actuating pawl, and said depending finger portion operable upon movement of said slide to move into overlying relation with a ratchet tooth to prevent rotation of said ratchet and said wheel beyond said next adjacent character.
 2. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device as set forth in claim 1 which includes, cable means to reciprocate said slide in said housing.
 3. Apparatus for rotating a marking wheel on a marking device as set forth in claim 2 in which, said slide includes an upstanding front end portion with a longitudinal passageway therethrough, said cable having a cylindrical jacket positioned thereon adjacent a threaded end portion, a first bolt member threadedly positioned on said cable threaded end portion with said cable end portion extending through said longitudinal passageway in said slide member, a second bolt member securing said cable to said slide upstanding end portion, a stop member abutting said first bolt member and limiting rotation of said first bolt member to thereby maintain said cable secured to said actuating slide. 